This invention relates to an apparatus for providing a warning signal to trailing vehicles that the motor brake retarder (engine retarder) of a forward vehicle has been activated and the vehicle is decelerating.
Rear end collisions present a serious safety issue on our public highways. Rear end collisions are caused by several factors, such as not paying attention and not receiving a warning that the forward vehicle is decelerating. The present invention addresses the latter. Until now, there has not been a device that interfaces with an existing motor brake retarder system for providing a warning signal to trailing vehicles when the motor brake retarder of the forward vehicle has been activated, causing the vehicle to decelerate.
The prior art is replete with devices that turn on a warning light when a vehicle is decelerating. These devices operate through the use of a switch connected to the accelerator pedal. When the accelerator is released, the switch sends a signal to an indicator light such as a brake light. However, these inventions are designed for vehicles that do not have a motor brake retarder. In addition, these inventions can be confusing to trailing vehicles since a warning light is activated every time the accelerator is released regardless of whether the vehicle is actually decelerating, creating a false sense of security so that an activation of the warning light when the vehicle is actually decelerating is ignored or an appropriate response is delayed.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,223,649 to Robinson et al. describes a motor brake control system with warning lights that operate with a motor brake retarder to indicate that the vehicle is decelerating. However, the system described in Robinson et al. is activated by the release of the accelerator pedal and not by the motor brake retarder itself. When the operator removes his foot from the accelerator, the motor brake retarder and the warning lights are activated. If the operator turns the motor brake retarder off and releases the accelerator pedal, the warning lights are still activated giving the trailing vehicle a false indication of the forward vehicle's deceleration.
The present invention addresses these problems by providing a brake warning apparatus that only activates when a motor brake retarder is being used. Thus, eliminating false warnings of deceleration.